There are so many reasons to gain official qualifications – not least the fact that they improve your employability and can help fast-track you into the career you want or help you get promoted. There are many different types of certification – from academic to professional, trade and vocational – and there is no doubt that there is something to suit everyone no matter what area of study or career industry they are interested in pursuing.

In Learning Ireland’s Lifelong Learning Index Survey Report 2007 the question ‘how much importance would you attach to the certification (level/type of award) you receive for your course?’ was asked and 59 percent of those who answered said that they thought certification is a significant factor. Only 16 percent of people thought that it wasn’t very important and 25 percent thought that the level of award was the most important aspect of completing a course. Clearly then, certification does matter to people – it is not simply the course content or the overall grade you get that matters, what the certificate itself indicates and says is perhaps the most important thing so it is important that you – and employers here in Ireland and globally – understand the value of your certification.

Higher and further education and training programmes, for example, are specifically designed for people who want to gain specific skills needed to pursue a particular career – whether it is in computers, childcare or fork lift truck driving. All higher and further education and training programmes in Ireland grant qualifications at different levels and their value is consistent with the same level of qualifications received in other institutions. Moreover, the value of the qualification you receive is recognised both nationally and internationally so you – and potential employers – will know exactly what it means!